The Spanish football federation (RFEF) has confirmed that it has “begun an analysis” of media reports regarding referee José Luis Munuera Montero, the official who sent off Jude Bellingham in Real Madrid‘s 1-1 draw at Osasuna on Saturday.
Reports in the Spanish media claimed that a company linked to Munuera, ‘Talentus Sports Speakers,’ had business relationships with a number of football bodies including LaLiga, the RFEF, UEFA and several football clubs.
In an Instagram post later on Tuesday, Munuera insisted that the firm “had not invoiced any amount to any sporting entity” and threatened legal action over the claims.
Madrid were angered by Munuera’s decision to show Bellingham a red card in Saturday’s game, in the latest in a series of incidents which have seen the club criticise the standard of Spanish refereeing.
“In compliance with the codes of good governance that govern all actions of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the Regulatory Compliance Committee has begun an analysis of all the information that has appeared regarding the First Division referee José Luis Munuera Montero,” the RFEF said in a statement on Tuesday.
The news came a day after Real Madrid executives visited RFEF headquarters to meet with refereeing bosses — and listen to audio recordings of conversations between officials — after they filed a formal complaint regarding another game, the club’s 1-0 defeat at Espanyol on Feb. 1.
In a statement on Instagram, Munuera said that a “disproportionate attack on the refereeing community has become apparent in recent months, and on this latest occasion, I am the protagonist.”
“The company Talentus Sports Speakers … Has not invoiced any amount to any sporting entity since its creation, whether clubs, federations or companies in the sports industry,” the statement said.
“This company — which began its activity less than a year ago — aims to enable different athletes to convey the transversal values of sport to different organizations, through the narration of their personal experiences.
“The Linkedin portal Talentus Sports Recruitment has the function of giving added value to potential attendees of the talks, mostly young post-university students looking for their first professional opportunity, by publicising the numerous job offers published on this social network … This has been done in all cases without any compensation from the companies, clubs or organisations.
“I expect that I will exercise the corresponding civil and criminal actions against those media that have intentionally or recklessly disseminated falsehoods, or incorrect or biased information, causing irreparable damage to the professional prestige and reputation of referees.”
In a social media post on Tuesday, Atlético Madrid — who have been highly critical of Real Madrid’s stance on referees — reiterated their support for officials.
“The machinery has been running for several weeks, and crushes everything in its path,” Atlético said. “Let’s see who is the brave one who delivers justice, knowing that they could be next,” with the hashtag “Stop Refereeing Harassment Now.”
